U.S. democracy passed a milestone on January 20, 2021 with the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Donald Trump’s presidency presented unprecedented challenges to this country’s democratic norms and practices. His role in a violent insurrection, sparking a second impeachment has fueled further debate over how to preserve American […] Read more »
Is Religious Liberty a Shield or a Sword?
Despite frequent disagreement on how to implement freedom of religion, the vast majority of Americans understand the basic religious protection offered by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Nearly nine in ten Americans (88%) agree that the U.S. government cannot establish an official religion or favor one religion over […] Read more »
Many Value Democratic Principles, but Few Think Democracy Is Working Well These Days
Few Americans believe democracy is functioning well in the United States these days, even as a large majority agree that core democratic principles like a fair judiciary and a democratically elected government are important to the country’s identity. Seventy percent think President Biden has at least a fair amount of […] Read more »
Restoring Confidence in American Institutions
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, was honored with the 2021 Franklin Founder Award during a virtual celebration of Benjamin Franklin’s 315th birthday. … In her acceptance speech, Jamieson spoke about the resilience […] Read more »
Amid Pandemic and Protests, Civics Survey Finds Americans Know More of Their Rights
In a period defined by an impeachment inquiry, a pandemic, nationwide protests over racial injustice, and a contentious presidential campaign, Americans’ knowledge of their First Amendment rights and their ability to name all three branches of the federal government have markedly increased, according to the 2020 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics […] Read more »
In Views of U.S. Democracy, Widening Partisan Divides Over Freedom to Peacefully Protest
In assessing the state of U.S. democracy, Americans continue to give their country negative ratings for living up to several key democratic ideals and principles. And in some cases, these assessments have turned less positive since 2018. Notably, the share of Americans who say the phrase “people are free to […] Read more »